


it's clear we've both had enough

by remi_mae



Category: Kamen Rider - All Media Types, Kamen Rider Shinobi, Kamen Rider Zi-O
Genre: Gen, Misunderstandings, Secret Identity, what are tenses?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-03
Updated: 2019-09-03
Packaged: 2020-10-06 01:48:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20498876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/remi_mae/pseuds/remi_mae
Summary: Rentarou knew that being a Kamen Rider wouldn't be easy but that being able to protect people would be worth it. He also knew keeping a secret identity was part of that, part of protecting the people closest to him. No one told him that protecting his sister would lead to her developing a crush on his alter ego, nor that his childhood friend would be jealous but also be terrible about trying to unmask him. Honestly, Rentarou is this close to forgetting about having a secret identity if it means they both knock it off.





	it's clear we've both had enough

**Author's Note:**

> So I watched Rider Time Kamen Rider Shinobi and basically spent the entire time saying some variation of "they're siblings!" whenever someone mentioned something about Shinobi and Iroha, and then I decided to write this. I can't even lie, I really hope Toei does more with Shinobi - I'd love a full season of it, as long as they tone back the "Iroha being a dude magnet" thing. I just... really like the suit, and also Rentarou as a character (though being played by Tawada Hideya helps a little there, ngl. He's very pretty.)
> 
> This is mostly just written with the idea of Rentarou being the straight man and the sort of traditional Kamen Rider protag, where Icchi and Iroha are more like... out of a melodrama or something, I guess. That's almost how their characters came off to me anyway, though I might be amping it up a touch as well, I dunno. I just thought this would be funny.
> 
> Title from NCT Dream x HRVY's Don't Need Your Love

Sometimes, just sometimes, Rentarou questions how Isamichi can be so stupid. Like, honestly. Part of him is just about ready to just straight up transform (or untransform) in front of Icchi just to get him to stop going on and on about Iroha in front of him. Or to get him to shut up about 'Shinobi this' and 'Shinobi that' - he already has to deal with Iroha doing that, and that's just _uncomfortable_, and he can't exactly let his sister know. It's not safe, plus she'd get mad at him for having hid it from her, both his ninjutsu skills and the fact that he's Kamen Rider Shinobi. Icchi would be upset too, but he'd get over it a lot faster. Plus he'd probably just be happy that there was no way Iroha and Shinobi would actually work out, given he's her brother and all.

That said, Rentarou also knows he shouldn't tell either of them. The temptation is there though, and growing ever stronger, just so he has some peace.

He loves both of them, honest, but they're both annoying as hell sometimes.

Still, he won't tell them, probably. He has to keep his identity a secret, for their safety more than his own.

... that's what he keeps telling himself at least. With Icchi badmouthing Shinobi when Iroha's not around, complaining about Iroha liking Shinobi to his face while they're transformed, plus Iroha going on about 'Shinobi-sama,' and constantly trying to figure out Shinobi's identity, Rentarou is seriously running out of willpower. Or just getting tired, however you want to put it.

Right now he's watching Iroha practice her ninjutsu alone, and that's fine. His little sister is talented and passionate, and it shows. Then Icchi shows up and is watching her with hearts in his eyes, which is fine as well. A bit weird maybe, but fine. If, by some miracle, Icchi actually confessed to Iroha and she decided she liked him back, Rentarou certainly wouldn't stand in the way of them (helps he's known Icchi forever and trusts him; even if he is a bit stupid sometimes, he's a good guy.)

No, things were fine, until Iroha stopped for a short break, said something about her beloved Shinobi-sama, and Icchi got all moody when she went back to practising, and now he's rambling to himself.

"What does she even see in Shinobi anyway?" He grumbled to himself, pouting at the ground.

"It's probably just a hero worship thing. He saved her a few times and all." Rentarou doesn't look away from Iroha, barely paying attention to Icchi. He'd gotten fairly good at the whole listening, but not really, thing over the last few months.

"Oh. That makes sense." Icchi nods, pout disappearing. A few long seconds pass before he's over dramatically throwing himself towards Rentarou. If he'd been paying a little more attention, he probably could've caught Icchi, or moved out of the way. But he wasn't and he ends up falling over, Icchi going sprawling over him, apparently not at all phased by it.

"But! But _why_ does Shinobi keep saving her?" Oh, god or someone give him the patience to deal with his stupid friend. "I mean, I'm glad someone's looking out for Iroha-san, but _why_? What ulterior motive does he have?"

'_None, I'm just looking out for my sister,_' is what Rentarou thinks, but "he's a hero isn't he? I doubt there's an ulterior motive," is what he says. "Iroha just keeps being in the wrong place at the wrong time, so he saves her." That was definitely not at all what it was, but it also wasn't what Icchi was thinking. He was just trying to keep an eye on his sister, make sure she doesn't get hurt.

"Ah, I suppose..." Icchi sits up, and Rentarou follows, standing up immediately afterwards so his friend can't throw himself back down. "Aaah, why does Iroha have to like _him_?"

'_I already said, it's probably just hero worship. She'd just be annoyed if she knew it was me.'_ Rentarou thinks, and has to try very, _very_ hard to resist the urge to bang his head off the wall when Icchi starts mumbling about how Shinobi should be grateful that Iroha likes him, and blah, blah, _blah_.

It's nothing new, but it's something that's becoming increasingly more frequent, and it's frustrating. He's trying to find some way of discouraging Iroha's crush on Shinobi so she's not disappointed when she finds out it's just him. He'd rather have her be frustrated with him that he's protecting her when she can, for the most part, take care of herself, rather than her being upset that the person she had a crush on is her older brother. He has no doubt she'd get over it fairly quickly, when she inevitably finds out he's Shinobi, but still. A frustrated, annoyed Iroha is one thing. An upset Iroha is something else entirely.

A blessedly calm few days pass, and Rentarou thinks maybe Icchi's finally got it through his head that Shinobi really doesn't have any ulterior motives towards Iroha, that he's just saving a girl who happens to keep getting attacked, or be in the places where attacks happen.

Then, once they've finished up a fight (against someone else - Hattari only ever seems okay with working with Shinobi if someone threatens Iroha straight out) and Rentarou's trying to make a quick getaway, Icchi speaks up.

"I still don't trust you." He says, and Rentarou nearly groans out loud. As it is, he hangs his head, and is rather glad the mask hides his facial expressions. He probably looks exhausted, tired of... well, Icchi's shit. "I don't believe you don't have some kind of motive," and then Rentarou sort of spaces out, barely listening to Icchi. He mentioned Iroha again though, and he really does groan out loud.

'She's my little sister!' He thinks, rolling his eyes.

Or, he thinks he thought it. Based on Icchi's rather dramatic gasp, he may have thought it aloud. Great. Now Icchi's going to get annoyed at him and -

"Iroha has two big brothers!?"

Wait, _what_?

"Icchi, what?" Icchi doesn't seem to hear him though, but rather is rambling on about how he didn't know that, how didn't he know that?

Rentarou watches him for a moment, before walking across the clearing and hitting Icchi's shoulder to make sure he has his attention. Then he drops his transformation and waits.

"Rentarou!?" Icchi's clearly shocked, and Rentarou has to resist the urge to shake his childhood friend because _obviously_ it's him. Icchi's not far behind in dropping his transformation and Rentarou takes advantage of that by covering Icchi's mouth and dragging him behind a tree - just in time for Iroha to come into the clearing, calling out for Shinobi, and pouting when no one's there. He doesn't uncover Icchi's mouth until he's sure Iroha's really gone. The fact that Icchi doesn't struggle is testament to the fact that he really is surprised Shinobi is him, that he's not just putting up a show.

"Hi, yes. It's me." He says, once Iroha's gone and he's removed his hand from Icchi's mouth.

Icchi doesn't say anything immediately, and Rentarou thinks he might have broken him. He's about to poke him, try to prod him into speaking, when his friend seems to shake himself out of it.

"I've been complaining to you... about you?" He frowns a little, before shaking his head. "Never mind that actually, why didn't you tell me right away?"

It's Rentarou's turn to shake his head. "I couldn't, especially before you became Hattari. I wasn't going to risk someone finding out you knew who Shinobi was and trying to hurt you. That's why Iroha can't know." Icchi nods slowly, thinking it over. He doesn't seem upset, so Rentarou thinks he gets it.

"As for not telling you after, I mean..." He gives Icchi a pointed look, and it's blatantly obvious that Icchi realizes he should have figured it out that first day. "Yeah." Most people probably would have at least suspected him then, but at the same time... Rentarou does like to think he's pretty good at making people think he's rather incompetent, at least when it comes to ninjutsu. He's also known Icchi since they were kids, so Icchi really had no reason to think he was secretly good at ninjutsu.

Still, Rentarou had thought Icchi would figure it out immediately, and he hadn't. He's really glad to know he didn't need to spell it out though, didn't need to point out that Icchi had been chasing Shinobi, only for him to disappear and for Icchi to find Rentarou instead.

Icchi complains he feels stupid, and Rentarou assures him he's not (he's just... a little lacking in the common sense department sometimes.)

"You absolutely can't let Iroha know I'm Shinobi though." Rentarou says after, holding Icchi's shoulders so he can't leave yet. "I'm trying to discourage her crush, because I'm pretty sure it is just a hero worship thing, but if she finds out I'm Shinobi, she's going to lose it." He's happy she doesn't mind Shinobi saving her, but he knows his little sister. She'll get frustrated and angry if she finds out he's been slacking off work to make sure that she's safe. She'll take it as him not having faith in her, not trusting her to take care of herself, and that's not at all what it is. Iroha is a good ninja, but dark ninja's like the Niji no Hebi clan, they don't play nice, and Rentarou can't bear the thought of her getting hurt. Especially since he has no way of knowing if the Niji no Hebi know that Iroha is their princess.

He doesn't tell Icchi this, because Icchi can't know either. Telling him that Iroha will get upset if she finds out he's Shinobi is enough though, and he nods.

"I'll do my best not to let it slip." He says, and Rentarou smiles.

"Thank you." He lets go of Icchi's shoulders, and looks behind him. "Lets go before Iroha starts to wonder where we are and tries to look for us, yeah?" Icchi smiles as well and nods again.

Rentarou doesn't think that he'll be able to keep his identity as Shinobi a secret from Iroha forever, he just hopes he can keep it hidden from her long enough. And also that she doesn't actually lose her shit at him when she does find out. He might be the older sibling, but she's scary sometimes.

**Author's Note:**

> Just fyi, I referred to the bad guys/dark ninja's as Niji no Hebi rather than by the English translation, just because "Rainbow Snake" does not sound scary or intimidating, at all. It still doesn't sound intimidating or anything because I know what Niji no Hebi means, but like... you know. Just sounds cooler in Japanese than it does in English.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Can Everybody Stop?](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23542174) by [shadowkaijin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowkaijin/pseuds/shadowkaijin)


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